Method of obtaining starch from indian corn and other grain



(Mmmm TQA; an W; T. JBBB. Mathu @f @mailling Starch from Indian Corn :amd`

Nmzmee.

fr e. M ,e 1m w N4 PTERS, Pholo-Lhhog UNITED STATES PATENT Ori-Ieno THOMAS A. JEBB HAND WILLIAM T. JEBB, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

METHOD 0F OBTAININGSTARCH FROM INDIAN CORN AND-OTHER GRAIN.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,666, dated May 1'7, 1881.6(

i Application tiled February 3, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Beit known that we, THOMAS A. JEBB and WILLIAM T. JEBB, both otl the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of ObtainingStarch from I 11- dian Corn and other Grain, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.V Y

This invention relates to an improvement in .the manufacture of starch from cereals, more especially Indian corn, and it has for its object to simplify the mode of treatment of the cereals and the apparatus employed, and to increase the yield of starch.

In the process heretofore most generally employed in manufacturing starch from Indian corn the latter is first soaked in warm water` and then ground with water between millstones, and the starch suspended in the water is separated from the bran or wood y and fibrous matter and the gluten by running the liquid over shakin g-sieves and settling-vats and tables. In this treatment of the cereals a large proportion of the gluten and bran is ground up and passes with the starch through the meshes of the sieves into the settling-tanks, where the gluten is separated from the starch by adding alkali and repeatedly washin g the starch. The gluten which the shaking-sieves have failed to separate from the starch is therefore not only lost, as it cannot be used forfeed y after being treated with alkali, but its subsequent separation from the starch involves, aside from the employment of alkali, a consid erable expenditure of power in agitating the material. Furthermore, a considerable portion of' the starch is smeared over the fragments of gluten and bran in grinding the corn, and passes with the gluten and bran over the tail ends of the shaking-sieves and into the feed. y

Our invention is designed to remedy these defects 5 and it consists, principally, in reducing the grain for obtaining starch therefrom by whipping or beating the grain together with a stream of water until the bran and gluten are reduced to coarse fragments, when the starchy portions are finely pulverized, whereby the starch is loosened and washed from the fragity, and then separating .agitating-tub.

water at the momentthat the ments of bran and gluten; also, in obtaining the starch from grain by beating the grain together with a stream of water, then commingling the material discharged from the beatin g-machi ne to producea liquid of uniform gravthe starch suspended in the water from the oii'al by sifting.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation showing the general arrangement of the apparatus for carrying out our improved process. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the disintegrator. Fig. 3 is a top-plan view of the Fig. et is an end View of one of the rotating stirrers. Fig. 5 is a top-plan view of the upper portion of the shakin g-sieves. Fig. 6 is a cross-section thereof.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents a disintcgrating-machine of any suitable and well-known constructiona machine of the construction shown in Fig. 2, provided with several concentric rows of pins or beaters revolving in opposite direction, beingpreferably employed. This machine is provided with a suitable casing, a, which incloses the disintegratin g disks or pins, and which is provided with a feed-hopper, b, near its center. The grain-steeped or not, as'may be most de- `sirable---is introduced into'this hopper bfrom a bin, C, together with a stream of water from a pipe, d. The grain is broken up by the disintegrating-pins, and the starchy portions of the kernels are completely detached from the outer harder portions'thereof, taken up by the become detached, and the harder fragments are at the same time washed and freed from the adhering starch by the water-spray which is distributed through the entire machine by the disintegrating-pins. the bran and gluten to as fine a state as the starch is by this machine avoided, and the material is discharged from the machine in a form in which the starch is readily separated from the bran and gluten.

E represents a shaking-sieve, to which the material discharged from the disintcgrator A may be taken directly, for the purpose of separating the bran and gluten from the starch; but the material is preferably rst collected The grinding of a portion of 9o from the several ldisintegrators in an agitating-tank, F, Where the different batches of disintegrated material are thoroughly mixed and their gravity equalized before the material is taken to the separator. The tank F is provided with two or more rotating stirrers, f, and one or more projecting breakers, g. The latter are preferably made of the form shown in Fig. 3, to throwy the material from the Wall of the tub inward, and the stirrers f are made inclined, as shown in Fig. 4, to lift the material. The sieve E is provided, near its tail end,with a gather-board, h, secured to the under side of the sieve, for the purpose of arresting any liquid which may How along the under side of the sieve, and causing such liquid to drop into the liquid-receptacle l underneath the sieve, instead of passing into the feed-box at the tail end of the sieve.

h are perforated pipes, through which sprays of Water are discharged upon the surface of the shakin g-sieves. The liquid is pumped from the agitating-tank F to the sieve E, which effects a separation of the starch from the bran and gluten. The starch is washed through the meshes of the sieves by the water-spray, while the bran and gluten pass over the tail of the sieve, and are carried to a convenient receptacle by an elevator or conveycr. The liquid, carrying the starch in suspension, is collected in the tubs K, and then treated in any ordinary and Well-known manner for the production of starch, grape-sugar, glucose, spirits, or any other product, as may beedesired.

By this method of treating the grain the bran and gluten are more completely separated from the starch, and the various expedients ordinarily resorted to for removing the gluten from the starch after sifting are, to a large eX- tcut, rendered superfluous, the loss of starch by carrying it off with the odal is prevented, the loss of gluten by treatment with alkali is largely reduced, and much less power is required for reducing the grain than when millstones are employed.

We claim as our inventionl. As an improvement in the art of obtaining starch from grain, the method of reducing the grain by whipping or beating it together with a stream of water until the bran and gluten are reduced to coarse fragments, when the starchy portions of the grain are iiuely pulverized,whereby the starch isloosened and washed from the fragments of bran and gluten, substantially as set forth. f

2. The method of obtaining starch from grain, which consists in reducing the grain by whipping or beating it together with a stream of water until the bran and gluten are reduced to coarse fragments, when the starchy portions ot' the grain are finely pulverzed, then agitat- -ing the reduced grain, whereby the gravity of the liquid mass is rendered uniform, and then separating the starchyr yliquid from the bran and gluten by sifting, substantially as set forth.

THOMAS A. J EBB. WILLIAM T. J EBB.

Witnesses:

JNO. J. BONNER, EDW. J. BRADY. 

